sola scriptura in the early church

7/29/2019 Sola Scriptura in the Early Church

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LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

SOLA SCIPTURA: THE ONLY VIEW FOR THE EARLY

CHURCH

A RESEARCH PAPER SUBMITTED TO:

PROFESSOR TAE JUN SUK

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR

THE COURSE CHURCH HISTORY 520

BY

JONATHAN E. HARRIS

WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY

MARCH 2013


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iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface............................................................................................................................................iv

Abstract............................................................................................................................................v

Definitions........................................................................................................................................1

The Process of Canonization........................................................................................................1-7

What The Bible Says About Itself................................................................................................7-9

The Church Fathers Speak..........................................................................................................9-14

Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................14


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iv

PREFACE

In an age of rampant skepticism and misinformation concerning the origin of the Bible, it is of

vital importance for the church to understand not only the process of canonization, but the early

churchs view on the authenticity of the books canonized. There is no doubt that any believer

who interacts on any level in the world today will sooner or later be asked the question, Where

did we get the Bible? The modern assumption held by most individuals as a result of pop-fiction

and modern academia is that the church itself simply chose through councils to arbitrarily

compile the books we know today as the Old and New Testaments. This of course destroys the

authenticity of the foundation of Christianity itself, making it equivalent to every other man-

made deviation, and therefore subject to the nefarious nature of men of ill character. It is a little

more than ironic that the stalwarts of the Christian faith in the early church (the very group of

men accused of tampering and/or choosing the text of Scripture) were the very ones opposing

this viewpoint and instead pointing to what has come to be known since the reformation assola

sciptura. This work is dedicated to vindicating the doctrine for which they stood thereby arming

the modern Christian with an answer for those who would harbor such faulty assumptions in

asking any question concerning the sacred canon.


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v

ABSTRACT

It is a fact that the canon of Scripture was not determined authoritative by a more authoritative

establishmentnamely the churchbut was confirmed by the church as an entity already

possessing supreme authority over the institution that verified its reliability. The Scriptures, in

their original characteristic, are not made a standard by any humanly devised system of veracity,

but are in judgment themselves over any such system. Therefore, the Scriptures are self-

confirming and have been treated as such by Christians universally, including the Christians of

the early and patristic periodsthe periods of time directly after which the canon was complete.

It is my aim to prove, using historical evidence, that the early and patristic church believed in a

self-confirming and authoritative canon that they themselves sat in judgment under. The early

church believed insola scriptura.


6/21

P. Flint and J. VanderKam. The Meaning o f the Dead Sea Scrolls: Their Significance For Und erstanding1

the Bible, Judaism, Jesus, and Christianity. (Bloomsbury, 2005.) 155.

Gal 6:16 NASB2

Flint and Vanderkam, The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls, 156.3

Brighenti et al. The Catholicism Answer Book: The 300 Most Frequently Asked Questions. (Sourcebooks,4

Incorporated, 2007.) 37.

1

DEFINITIONS

In order to be clear about the subject at hand we must first establish what is meant by

the terms that will be used. There are certain words commonly thrown around concerning the

issue of canonicity and the early church that are unfortunately defined poorly or not defined at all.

In order for a proper understanding to be in place Christians must understand the proper

definitions of the terms commonly used. Only then can they combat the errors so frequently

leveled.

The term canon transliterates the Greek (kanon), which in turn derives from a

Semitic word for reed (used to measure length by). The Greek word is used in Galatians 6:16 to1

refer to the rule of faith in Jesus Christ. A canon is the closed list of books that was officially2

accepted retrospectively by a community as supremely authoritative and binding for religious

practice and doctrine. The Christian canon therefore is codified in the 66 books of the Old and3

New Testaments that convey the rule of faith in Jesus Christ. The term Scripture simply refers

to the written word and parallels this definition. For the purposes of this work the word canon,4

Scripture, and Biblewhich literally means bookwill be used synonymously.

THE PROCESS OF CANONIZATION


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Acts 17:115

E. Caner, The Popu lar Encyclopedia of Apolog etics: Surveying the Evidence for the Truth of Christianity.6

(Harvest House Publishers, 2008.)108.

Matt 7:12, 22:40; Acts 24:14, etc.7

J. MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary. (Thomas Nelson, 2005.) 1077.8

2

One of the greatest sources of confusion in modern times is the difference between the

process of canonization and the authority of the canon itself. If an individual is exclusively

informed by liberal theologians they may think that the process is what gave rise to the authority,

when in reality its the other way around. The church did not grant the Scriptures their authority

by compiling them. Rather, the authority of the Scriptures themselves legitimized the process the

church took in recognizing them as such. The early church believed the Bible existed

independent from and over the church, not vice-versa. Still, it is helpful in our study to gain some

background information as to how the process of canonization was completed before proceeding.

The first century church, as evidenced by numerous quotations both in the New Testament

and among the early church fathers, already possessed the Old Testament Scriptures. In Acts Paul

commends the Bereans for examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.5

The only source of Scripture readily available to the Bereans would have been the Hebrew Old

Testament in the form of the Septuagint (a Greek translation dating from 100-250 B.C. ). Jesus6

and the apostles both repeatedly cited the Law and the Prophets as the standard of faith.7

Christianity was a continuation of Judaism, and therefore held to the sacred writing of the Jews

hence rejecting the apocryphal writings of the intertestamental periodan issue we will further

expound on. The Old Testament canon was closed after the prophecy of Malachi (433-424 B.C. )8


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S. B. Chapman, The Law and the Prophets: A Study in Old Testament Canon Formation. (Mohr Siebeck9

GmbH KG, 2000.) 58.

Caner,Encyclopedia of Apologetics, 108.10

J. and S. McDowell. The Bible Handb ook of Difficult Verses: A Complete Guide to Answering the Tough11

Questions. (Harvest House Pub, 2013.) 18.

3

and affirmed by the Jewish community when in 164 B.C. Judas Maccabeus compiled a list of

canonical books. Due to groups such as the Masoretes meticulous and careful scribal practices9

ensured that the received text of the Old Testament was handed down almost unchanged.10

While the veracity of the Law and the Prophets are attacked in modern media, they are not

generally thought to have been manipulated by the early church like the New Testament is

commonly thought to have been. Therefore, the transmission and affirmation of the New

Testament Scriptures is where we now turn our attention.

It should be noted first that none of the original documents of New Testament Scripture are

still in existence, at least if any of them are, they are not known to us. What we do have are

nearly 25,000 manuscripts or fragments of manuscripts . . . among these are nearly 5,800 Greek

manuscripts . . . which is over three times as many as for the Iliad. Just the sheer volume of11

such a number can give a Christian much confidence in the New Testament simply for the fact

that if variation does exist in a particular text there are always other texts, and many times earlier

texts, to compare it with. Another significant point that should be made is the fact that no church

counseldue to the geographical spread and abundance of manuscriptscould have physically

eradicated a biblical text with which there was a disagreement.

There are four basic groups of New Testament fragments organized based on the material

which they were written on: The papyri, the uncials, the minuscules, and the lectionaries. The


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Corley et al. Biblical Hermeneutics: A Comprehensive Introduction to Interpreting Scripture. (Nashville:12

Broadman and Holman, 2002), 221.

J. Calvin,Institutes of the Chris tian Religion . (Hayes Barton Press, n.d.) 997.13

P. Voerding, The Trouble With Christianity: A Concise Outline of Christian History: From the14

Traditional Western Birth of Christ to Contemp orary American Evan gelical Fundamentalism . (AuthorHouse, 2009).

39 .

4

papyri were written in Greek and date from the 2 through 7 centuries (there are currentlynd th

ninety-nine fragments in existence); there are three hundred uncials dating from the 3 to 11rd th

centuries; 2,800 minuscules (the earliest of which date from the 9 century); and 23,000th

lectionaries dating from the 6 century and later. These texts have been broken down into moreth 12

or less significant manuscripts and through the process of compare and contrast have been used

by modern translators to gain an accurate depiction of the originals.

The early church was nothing like the modern Roman Catholic establishment and cannot be

compared with it. Christians were undergoing the waves of persecution and heresy on an

everyday basis. The religion was spreading so fast that it can be better compared to the awkward

staggering of a young adolescent rather than the oiled machinery of a corporate hierarchy. The

church was certainly a grassroots endeavor being controlled by the Holy Spiritnot a group of

men in closed-door meetings. (It wasnt until the 5 century that Rome consolidated real power:th

in part because Rome was the political capital and in part because other regions of Christendom

were in turmoil ). Interestingly enough, it was these two situations (persecution and heresy) that13

drove the church to attempt to recognize the cannon in its early days.

The rise of Gnosticism was the churchs chief threat in its infant years. Valentinuss

heretical teaching on the Trinity left many in the church wondering how the Bible ought to be14

interpreted. In Rome toward the middle of the second century Marcion, who was raise in


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R. E. Rub enstein, When Jesus Became G od: The Epic Fight over Christs Divinity in the Last Days of15

Rome. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2000.) 33.

MacArthur, Bible Commentary. (Thomas Nelson, 2005.) 1094.16

Ibid.17

Ibid.18

Ibid.19

Ibid.20

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Christianity, came up with his own cannon in which he excluded the Law and the Prophets as

well as three out of four of the gospels themselves. The church needed to respond somehow to

these errant teachings. Then on February 23, 303 . . . [Rome] posted an edict banning Christian

worship . . . [and] church officials were ordered to hand over their sacred books for burning.15

Not only did the church need to defend the word of God, but they needed to preserve it.

The informed Christian should know that the New Testament was not accepted in one

moment as a finished work. This is obvious simply from the construction of the canon itself.

Each book was written for a different reason, a different audience, a different location, and over a

span of time (A.D. 44-49 to A.D. 94-96) . For instance, Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke (A.D.16

60-61) and Acts (A.D. 62) to Theophilus as a history, Matthew wrote to a Jewish audience17 18

(A.D. 50-60) , Paul, the apostle to the gentiles, wrote many personal and corporate letters much19

of the time in reaction to issues individuals and churches were having (A.D. 49-50 to A.D. 66-

67) , etc. It should never be assumed that the Canon came from heaven in a pristine form20

encased by steal and glass. This was not Gods method of preservation. Instead, he used fallible

men to accomplish His perfect purpose both in authoring the Scripture and in preserving it.

The majority of the Canon was actually received and accepted by the church very early on,


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H. R. Boer,A Short History of the Early Church . (Eerdmans, 1976). 72.21

Everett Ferguson. Church History. (Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2005.) Kindle Locations 2255-225622

6

but because the church was so spread out and because the circulation of different letters made

their way to different regions at different times, there were some books that were contested. One

of the earliest lists of Canonical books is referred to as the Muratorian Fragment and was

written in about 170. [It] lists the four Gospels, Acts, the Pauline epistles, I and II John, Jude,

and Revelation. Hebrews, James the two epistles of Peter, and III John are not included. In21

the fourth and fifth centuries there came to be general agreement in the Greek and Latin churches

about the extent of the New Testament canon. The final expression of canonical reception22

came when Athanasius, the Bishop of Alexandria in A.D. 367, published the Canon containing

the same books used today by protestant churches (and Catholic up until the Council of Trent in

A.D. 1545). Three key councils around the time of Athanasiuss publication worked to confirm

and solidify the books contained in the New Testament. The Council of Laodicea in A.D. 363,

The Council of Hippo in A.D. 393, and the Council of Carthage in A.D. 397, all worked to apply

what are commonly called the tests of canonicity to demonstrate what was of God and what

wasnt. The first test was that of orthodoxy. Did the book or group of books contradict the rule of

faith? The second test is referred to as Apostolicity. Can the work be traced back to an Apostle or

someone connected to the Apostles? The third test is called the test of universality. Does the

work apply to the church as a whole? It is because of these tests that the books commonly

referred to as the Apocrypha failed to make their way into the Biblical Canon. As Athanasius

stated:


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Ibid., Kindle Locations 2272-22 75.23

7

There are other books outside these, which are not indeed included in the canon, but

have been appointed from the time of the fathers to be read to those who are recent converts

to our company and wish to be instructed in the word of true religion. These are the Wisdom

of Solomon, the Wisdom of Sirach, Esther, Judith, Tobit, the so-called Teaching of the

Apostles [Didache] and the Shepherd. But while the former are included in the canon and

the latter are read, no mention is to be made of the apocryphal works. They are the inventionof heretics.23

As will be demonstrated, the men involved in these councils were not seeking to establish a

Canon of their own, but rather to recognize a Canon that had already been given.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT ITSELF

It may seem so far that there has been little said regarding the early churchs belief in

sola scriptura, but upon a deeper reflection it should be noted that this is precisely what we have

been discussing. The process of canonization is a testimony to the early churchs incapability of

strong-arming itself into a position of acting as the Bibles authority. There was no way the early

church could eradicate texts it thought undesirable, and there was no way, in the fractured world

of early Christianity, a solid consensus could be built around a controllable group of leaders. This

was also not the desire of the early church as we have seen in their canonicity tests. They viewed

themselves as ones affirming a truth already granted by God. In this next section we will continue

this vein to find out what the Biblethe compilation venerated and affirmed by the churchsays

about itself.

The most common passage quoted when discussing biblical authority is 2 Timothy 3:16-17

which states, All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for

correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for


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2 Tim 3:16-1724

Zech 1:3, Jer. 34:2, 1 Kings 21:19, etc.25

J. R. White, Scripture Alone: Exploring the Bibles Accuracy, Authority and Au thenticity. (Baker26

Publishing Group, 2004). 14-15.

2 Pet 1:2127

2 Pet 1:1928

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every good work. What is it that makes men equipped for every good work? It is not the24

church, but rather Scripture itself. The word inspired literally means, god-breathed. The New

Testaments authority comes as much from God as the Old Testaments Thus Saith the Lord,25

comes from God. Commenting on this statement Dr. James White explains, It is both a positive

statement, asserting the supremacy and uniqueness of the Word, and a negative one, denying the

existence of any other rule of authority on the same level. The second Scripture for26

consideration is 2 Peter 1:21 which says, But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture

is a matter of ones own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will,

but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. In context, Peter has just finished27

explaining his experience on the Mount of Transfiguration. He then switches gears to let his

audience know in verse 19 that there is a word made more sure than even his own personal28

experience, and that word is revealed in verse 21 as the Scriptures themselves. The reason the

Apostle Peter trusted the Scriptures over his own experience was because the Scriptures were

given by God and not subject to ones own interpretation. The men who were used to write the

Canon Peter tells us were moved (or carried along) by the Holy Spirit. There are numerous

other Scriptures that also attest to what both Peter and Paul confirm in their writingsthat there

exists no higher authority than the Word of God. It is this view that was adopted by the early


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J. Killian, Truth of Our Faith. (iUniverse, 2011). 179 .29

A. Roberts, The Ante-Nicene Fathers. (Christian Literature Publishing Company, 188 8.) 227.30

9

church, and because of this view the Scriptures must authenticate themselves, for to put them

under the authority of any man or group of men would be to rob them of their very nature.

THE CHURCH FATHERS SPEAK

No matter how many issues the church fathers disagreed with each other on, one viewpoint

seems to have universal acceptance. The preceding sentence seems almost to be the type of

statement a mystery/thriller about the early church would open with but unfortunately, for the

conspiracy theorist, the issue being discussed establishes the very opposite of what true

conspiracies are made of. The early church believed insola scriptura and this can be clearly seen

when their leaders words are carefully examined. If ever there was a conspiracy in the early

Christian period, it was a conspiracy to establish the Bible as the sole authority for faith and

practice and the church as its humble servant.

Hippolytus of Rome (170 235 A.D.) was the most important third century theologian in

the Christian Church in Rome. He was the disciple of Irenaeus, who in turn was the disciple of29

Polycarp, who was a disciple of the Apostle John. Hippolytus wrote an incredible amount of

Christian material most notably theRefutation of All Heresies. He died as a martyr in 235 A.D.

under the persecution of Emperor Maximinus Thrax. Hippolytus had this to say about the

cannon.

There is, brethren, one God, the knowledge of whom we gain from the Holy Scriptures,

and from no other source.... Whatever things, then, the Holy Scriptures declare, at these let

us look; and whatsoever things they teach, these let us learn.30


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L. Gambero,Ma ry and the Fathers of the Church: The Ble ssed V irg in Ma ry in Patris tic Though t.31

(Ignatius Press, 1999). 99.

J. H. Newman. Select Treatises in Controversy with the Arians. (John Henry Parker, 1842.) 57.32

Athanasius of Alexandria,Agains t the H eathen . (Fig, n.d.) 1.33

P. Schaff,Nicene a nd Post-Nicene Fathers: Second Series Volu me IV An tha na sius: Se lec ts Works and34

Letters. (Cosimo, 2007.) 453.

10

The exclusivity of Hippolytuss statement is hard to miss. He doesnt give any credence to the

church or extra-biblical tradition. On the contrary, he outlaws them as refuges by which to escape

fromsola scriptura.

Athanasius (ca. 296-298 373 A.D.), mentioned previously in this work for having

compiled an accurate list of the canonical books, served as the archbishop of the church in

Alexandria and played a leading role at First Council of Nicaea for opposing Arianism.

Athanasius was also persecuted in five separate exiles spanning a seventeen year time span.

St. Gegory of Nazianzen called him pillar of the Church for his invaluable work against31

heresy. Here is what he had to say about the authority of the Scriptures: The tokens of truth are

more exact as drawn from Scripture, than from other sources. Obviously it is clear what32

authority Athanasius stood upon as he fought the heresy of Arianism. It was not in his title of

archbishop but rather in his deference to where true exactness comes from. The sacred and

inspired Scriptures are sufficient to declare the truth. It is more than a bit ironic that someone33

who took such a prominent role in the First Council of Nicaea likewise had this to say concerning

councils. Vainly then do they run about with the pretext that they have demanded Councils for

the faiths sake; for divine Scripture is sufficient above all things. By all things it is apparent34

Athanasius is including councils in his statement.


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P. Schaff,Nicene a nd Post-Nicene Fath ers Second Series, Basil: Letter s and Selec t Works. (Cosimo,35

2007.) Lii.

P. Schaff, and H. Wace. A Se lect Library of Nicene a nd Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church: S t.36

Basil: Letters and Selec t Works. 1895. (Christian literature Company, 1895.) 31 2.

11

Another stalwart against Arianism in the early church was a man by the name of Basil of

Caesarea (329 or 330 379 A.D.). Labeled among the Cappadocian Fathers and influential in

championing the Nicene Creed, Basil was also involved in making his mark on early monastic

life as well as succeeding Eusebius as the Bishop of Caesarea. Although there are no doubt

issues which many modern Protestants may disagree with Basil on, he would have no qualms

aboutsola scriptura.

We ought carefully to examine whether the doctrine offered us is conformable to

Scripture, and if not, to reject it. Nothing must be added to the inspired words of God; all

that is outside Scripture is not of faith, but is sin.35

It doesnt get much clearer than that. Not only is Scripture of the highest authority, anything

deviating from it is sinful in the eyes of Basil. The very Nicene Creed he forwarded was therefore

viewed as a support beam of the Scriptures, not a replacement, or an assistant to them.

On a separate occasion, Basil had this to say to a Christian widow.

Enjoying as you do the consolation of the Holy Scriptures, you stand in need neither of

my assistance nor of that of anybody else to help you to comprehend your duty. You have

the all-sufficient counsel and guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead you to what is right.36

This may surprise many modern Catholics. One of the Doctors of their church believes that a

bishop in the church itself is of no help in comprehending the Scriptures. On the contrary, it is

the responsibility of the Holy Spirit coupled with the illumination of the text of the Scripture

itself. Basil did of course believe in the office of a pastor-teacher, but he believed it was the job


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J. A. Hardon, The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom . (Ignatius Press, 1987.)37

James White. Francis Beckwith Begins to Give H is Reasons (#3). Alpha and Omega M inistries, June 7,38

2007. http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php?itemid=2033.

12

of laymen to examine what was being taught and compare it to Scripture.

Concerning the Hearers: that those hearers who are instructed in the Scriptures should

examine what is said by the teachers, receiving what is in conformity with the Scriptures

and rejecting what is opposed to them; and that those who persist in teaching such doctrines

should be strictly avoided.37

Let us now turn our attention to another influential bishop, Basils brother Gregory of Nyssa

(c. 335 c. 395 A.D.). Gregory was another champion of Trinitarian theology and participated in

the synod at Ancyra, the Synod of Antioch, and the First Council of Constantinople. Today he is

considered a saint in Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Lutheranism,

and Anglicanism. Gregorys views match those of his brother: We make the Holy Scriptures the

canon and the rule of every dogma; we of necessity look upon that, and receive alone that which

may be made conformable to the intention of those writings. Everything, from Gregorys point38

of view, must be conformable or made to fit into the intention of the Bible. This would

mean everything that deviates from it is illegitimate.

Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376 444) was a very influential bishop in the patristic period of the

church. Often referred to as Pillar of Faith or Seal of all the Fathers, Cyril served as the Patriarch

of Alexandria and was a central figure in the First Council of Ephesus. Cyril, one of the most

powerful forces in the Christian world at the time, even rubbing shoulders with the emperor, had

much to say aboutsola scriptura.

Let us then speak concerning the Holy Ghost nothing but what is written; and

whatsoever is not written, let us not busy ourselves about it. The Holy Ghost Himself spoke


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Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures. (OrthodoxEbooks, n.d.) 286.39

P. Schaff,Nicene a nd Post-Nicene Fath ers Second Series: Cyril of Jerusalem, (Gregory Nazianzen.40

Cosimo, 2007). 23.

D. L. Jeffrey,Houses of the Interpreter:Read ing Bib le, Rea ding Culture . (Baylor U niversity Press,41

2004). 48.

13

the Scriptures; He has also spoken concerning Himself as much as He pleased, or as much

as we could receive. Let us therefore speak those things which He has said; for whatsoever

He has not said, we dare not say.39

Notice the humility in which Cyril offers us his statement. He wished to constrain himself to

only speaking that which was found in Scripture. Why? Because:

Concerning the divine and holy mysteries of the Faith, not even a casual statement

must be delivered without the Holy Scriptures; nor must we be drawn aside by mere

plausibility and artifices of speech. Even to me, who tell you these things, give not absolute

credence, unless you receive the proof of the things which I announce from the Divine

Scriptures. For this salvation which we believe depends not on ingenious reasoning, but on

demonstration of the Holy Scriptures.40

In other words, Cyril sought to restrain himself from dogmatically forwarding any opinion found

outside of Scripture for the simple reason that salvation depends on the Scriptures themselves.

What else is of importance? Notice also how Cyril places the Scriptures above even human

reason!

Last, but certainly not least, let us discuss the champion of early ChristianitySt. Augustine

himself (354 430 A.D.), perhaps the most respected man in all of church history excluding the

Apostles themselves. St. Augustines words ring true to every Christian of every age.

Let us treat scripture like scripture, like God speaking; dont ... look there for man going

wrong. It is not for nothing, you see, that the canon has been established for the Church. This is

the function of the Holy Spirit. So if anybody reads my book, let him pass judgment on me. If I

have said something reasonable, let him follow, not me, but reason itself; if Ive proved it by the

clearest divine testimony, let him follow, not me, but the divine scripture.41


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Augustine demonstrates a great humility as well. His desire is for Christians to look to Scripture

and not him. It is telling what the great theologian says about the relationship of Scripture to the

church. The canon has been established for the Church. This statement simply implies that it

wasnt the church that established the canon, but rather the other way around. The church would

have no authority if it wasnt for the canonthe canon of Scripture given by God.

CONCLUSION

As has been demonstrated throughout this work, the church viewed the Scripture as the self-

authenticating word of God relying on no higher power than itself. First we looked at the process

of canonization and demonstrated that the early church did not have the option available to itself

that would make it possible for it to destroy variations in the text it thought disagreeable.

Secondly, we saw that the early churchs goal was to preserve, as instruments of God, what was

recognized by God as Scripture. Thirdly, knowing that the church was for the authority of the

Canon, we examined what the Canon had to say about itselfhow it states there is no higher

authority that exists. Fourthly, we saw that the early and patristic church fathers were unified in

extolling the viewpoint Scripture has about itself. They placed themselves under its authority, not

the authenticity of Scripture under theirs.


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15

WORKS CITED

Alexandria, A. Against the Heathen. Fig, n.d..

Boer, H. R. A Short History of the Early Church. Eerdmans, 1976.

Brighenti et al. The Catholicism Answer Book: The 300 Most Frequently Asked Questions.

Sourcebooks, Incorporated, 2007.

Calvin, J. Institues of the Christian Religion. Hayes Barton Press, n.d.

Caner, E. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics: Surveying the Evidence for the Truth of

Christianity. Harvest House Publishers, 2008.

Chapman, S. B. The Law and the Prophets: A Study in Old Testament Canon Formation. Mohr

Siebeck GmbH KG, 2000.

Ferguson, Everett. Church History. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2005.

Gambero, L. Mary and the Fathers of the Church: The Blessed Virgin Mary in Patristic Thought.

Ignatius Press, 1999.

Hardon, J. A. The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom. Ignatius Press, 1987.

Jeffrey, D. L. Houses of the Interpreter: Reading Bible, Reading Culture. Baylor University

Press, 2004.

Jerusalem, S. C. Catechetical Lectures. OrthodoxEbooks, n.d.

Killian, J. Truth of Our Faith. iUniverse, 2011.

MacArthur, J. The MacArthur Bible Commentary. Thomas Nelson, 2005.

McDowell, J., and S. McDowell. The Bible Handbook of Difficult Verses: A Complete Guide to


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Answering the Tough Questions. Harvest House Pub, 2013.

Newman, J. H. Select Treatises in Controversy with the Arians. John Henry Parker, 1842.

Roberts, A. The Ante-Nicene Fathers. Christian Literature Publishing Company, 1888.

Rubenstein, R. E. When Jesus Became God: The Epic Fight over Christs Divinity in the Last

Days of Rome. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2000..

Schaff, P. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Second Series, Basil: Letters and Select Works.

Cosimo, 2007. http://books.google.com/books?id=YCcKWmtee5oC.

Schaff, P. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Second Series: Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory

Nazianzen. Cosimo, 2007.

Schaff, P. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Second Series Volume IV Anthanasius: Selects

Works and Letters. Cosimo, 2007.

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sola scriptura in the early church

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